How Comedy Sold WWII War Bonds

Abbott & Costello Go to Medina                     

-Lisa Rienerth

Medina County Gazette, 18 July 1942, p. 1

It began when a group of volunteers built a small, white building to sell War Bonds, stamps and corsages here in Medina, Ohio. 

Medina Sentinel, 23 July 1942, p. 1

The completed building was placed on the west side of  Medina Square and a grand opening was held the 18th of July 1942.

The building would not have been built without the generosity of the local businesses.  

The opening program lasted a little more than 3 hours with speeches from Amherst Spitzer, the War Bond chairman, music by the Akron Defense Council band and a few short speeches by a few local veterans. 

On that first day, $1,900 in bonds were sold, along with $97 in stamps and $95 in "stamp corsages". Stamp corsages are exactly what they sound like, corsages made with saving stamps. 

One Month Later....

The Treasury Department of Cleveland saw that Medina County was one of the top sellers of War Bond funds and rewarded the county with a special visit from "The biggest singular attraction of Medina County...". 

On August 19, 1942, Bud Abbot and Lou Costello, a famous comedy duo of the time, were coming to Medina to help sell War Bonds! 

Abbott and Costello were known in the 1940's as the "Leading Laugh Team".  They worked in radio & film and became even more popular during the World War II era.

This must have been one of the most exciting things to happen to the area in years, because the Medina Gazette was estimating a crowd of 10,000 people. 

Medina Sentinel, 13 August 1942, p. 1

Plans were made to build a platform and wire the Medina Square with loudspeakers. The organizers of the event wanted to make sure the duo was seen and heard by all. War Bonds were to be sold just outside the beautiful, new War Bond building. 

There was also a contest between the townships to see who could sell the most War Bonds before the big day arrived. 

Medina County Gazette, 21 August 1942, p 1

The night of the program a large crowd filled the square. 

Abbott & Costello arrived at 7:40 p.m. and according to the papers "Pulled several spontaneous laugh provoking remarks..." and autographed the bonds that they sold that evening. 

Liverpool Township won the Bond contest by collecting $21,835 in War Bond sales. 

George Wolfe, chairman of the Liverpool township war bond drive committee, was congratulated by Amherst Spitzer and the two comedians

The evening was a great success. $8,000 in bonds were sold at the War Bonds building. The total amount collected by all of the townships for the contest was $225,291, which is equivalent to just a little more than (4) four million dollars today.

The county continued to raise large amounts of money throughout the war. According to Robert Hyde's Beyond the Storefronts, "This is the famous [War Bond] building that at one point raised over 3 million dollars towards the war effort and was also part of the reason why the government decided to film "Hometown U. S. A.”  in Medina.*

*This link will take you to a past blog on the film.

And here's the rest of the story...

After World War II, the small, white building was put into storage and then moved to the property owned by Dr. Frederick Fri, who served in the war. Dr. Fri's property was acquired by the Medina General Hospital and the building was left on the land.

In 2001, the Medina Jaycees refurbished the building. Elmer Zarney, who created the original sign, remade a new sign, because the old one was lost. Zarney was a fighter pilot in World War II. 

Medina County Gazette, 8 Nov 2001

      

The building stayed on the Medina Hospital, n.k.a. Medina Cleveland Clinic, property until this November. The Medina County Historical Society took an interest in it and on the fourth had it moved to the property of the McDowell-Phillips Home, which is also owned by the society.  

Historical Society's President, Brian Feron, says the building will be restored and used as a place to display local historical items. It will then be used for educational purposes and someday a "Victory Garden" may be planted alongside it.

This little, white building witnessed Medina's history for the past 80 years. Now, because of the Medina County Historical Society, it can not only be a witness to many more years, but will teach other generations about the history of the county and its contribution and dedication to our nation at a time of war. 

Please leave a comment if you were a witness to this spectacular night in Medina. We would love to hear about your experience! 

Learn more about World War II War Bonds from Abbott & Costello by watching a Public Service Announcement from that era by clicking on the highlighted link. 

 

The Honor Roll Board of Medina & Montville Township WWII Veterans

By Lauren Kuntzman

In honor of Veterans Day, this week’s blog post will focus on the history of the Honor Roll Board of service members from Medina and Montville Townships in WWII. 

American Legion Takes the Lead

Ten months after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into WWII, members of the local American Legion post initiated efforts to create an “Honor Roll Board” of service members from Medina village, Medina Township, and Montville Township. Post leader Perry Smith formed a committee of members, including Cloyd Derhammer, Clayton Randall, and Neal Roshon. 

Derhammer, Randall, and Roshon were to collect the names of individuals who were currently serving or had already served in WWII and had been honorably discharged. These names were to be inscribed on a sign, mounted on the side of the B. & L. Store, located at 201 S. Court Street (the site of Lemonberry Frozen Yogurt today). Local businessmen funded the building and installation of the sign. The sign was designed by local sign painter Franklin Bates. Bates planned for it to hold 1,000 names and inscribed the names collected in the first round of the project. 

Criteria to be Included on the Honor Roll Board

To be named on the list, individuals had to be…

• a resident of Medina Township, Montville Township, or Medina Village.  

• currently serving in a branch of the military or…

• a veteran of WWII and honorably discharged from service.

Individuals also had to be “sponsored” by a relative. Sponsorship had no financial component – it was free for all service members to be added to the Honor Roll – but took the form of a written statement with the individual’s name, address, and branch of service. It was hoped that the “sponsorship” model would reduce duplicates, omissions, and errors.

In the committee’s initial call for names, written statements were to be submitted by October 1, 1942. They hoped to dedicate the Honor Roll on Armistice Day 1942.  

The List Grows 

The process of collecting service members’ names took longer than anticipated. It wasn’t until April 1943 that it was considered to be “up-to-date.”  

Additional individuals would be added to the list when they entered the service and the American Legion committee continued to collect names. Here is a brief timeline of its growth: 

Virginia (Wheeler) Martin, benefactor of MCDL's
Family History & Learning Center was one of the
painters to add names to the Honor Roll Board.

• July 1943 - 514 names - Sign Painter: Robert High

• February 1944 - 596 names - Sign Painter: Robert High

• May 1944 - 622 names - Sign Painter: Virginia Wheeler

• August 1945 - 757 names - Sign Painter: Emil Gnuschke 

Over time, the Honor Roll also came to include women. The three local women serving as WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in the US Naval Reserve were Eleanor Brandt, Lois Kaden, and Pearl Seller. Army Nurse Elizabeth Mettie was also added to the Honor Roll.  

As time passed, some of those noted on the Honor Roll lost their lives. At first, gold crosses were painted in front of the names of individuals who gave their lives in the war. Later these individuals were identified with gold stars.  

The War and the Honor Roll Board Come to an End

By the end of the war in September 1945, 761 residents of Medina village, Medina Township, and Montville Township were named on the Honor Roll Board. The sign remained in place at South Court Street but, over time, came to need repainting and repair.  It was ultimately decided that the Honor Roll Board should be part of the Memorial Day exercises in 1947 and then removed.  

Learn More

To view a larger image of the Honor Roll Board, and the names of veterans honored on it, click here.  

To learn more about the Honor Roll Board, visit https://mcdl.info/newspapers and view the following issues of the Medina Gazette: 

• 11 September 1942, p. 1

• 22 September 1942, p. 1

• 23 October 1942, p. 1

• 23 April 1943, p. 1

• 6 July 1943, p. 1

• 24 August 1943, p. 1

• 1 February 1944, p. 1

• 23 May 1944, p. 1

• 5 June 1945, p. 1

• 20 July 1945, p. 1 

• 25 September 1945, p. 1

• 4 February 1947, p. 6

• 27 May 1947, p. 1

• 18 April 1947, p. 1

• 20 May 1947, p. 1

• 3 June 1947, p. 8

Stories of Ohio Body Snatchers

by Madison Thomas

Research can often turn up the strangest of stories. For example, how cemeteries can be frightful and that being laid to rest might not be the end of your mortal body's journey. According to Medina County’s ‘Timeline of Medina County History’ created by Stephen Hambley, back in 1870 Ohio was plagued with “organized gangs of grave robbers”. The gangs of grave robbers tended to be made up of either medical students or individuals looking to make a profit from selling bodies to medical colleges. 

To investigate the cemeteries and reports of missing bodies here in Medina County and broader Ohio, you can start with Digital Archives of Medina County District Library. When using this database search using keywords such as “body snatchers” “grave robbers” and a single name “Jonathan Barker.”  

The trail begins in 1877 on January 12th, when the Medina County Gazette published the obituary of 79-year-old Jonathan Barker, laid to rest in Windfall Cemetery.  

Jonathan Barker 

MCG 11/21/1877, p5

Jonathan Barker fathered twenty-two children, two of which were living at the time of his death. Less than a week after his funeral it was reported in the Medina County Gazette that his body had been stolen from his grave. The evidence compiled consisted of the broken casket, a trail from the grave to the street littered with his characteristic white hair, and a broken piece of red sleigh by the side of the road.  

One of his children made a plea that if her father’s body was returned without harm all charges would be dropped. The next day a note was left on her doorstep that her father could be found at the cemetery. Mr. Barker’s body was returned to the grave site in a new suit and coffin.  

MCG 02/21/1877, p2

On February 2nd, 1877, the full account was published in the Medina County Gazette with an interesting ‘anonymous’ letter from the self-proclaimed thief. The paper, however, took it upon themselves to identify the author as Elwin Damon, a medical student and future doctor. Since the daughter dropped the charges there are no court records on the subject. 

While searching for Damon and medical students involved in grave robberies, an article was found with the name John Scott Harrison. 

John Scott Harrison 

John Scott Harrison was the father of President Benjamin Harrison. The small article in the Gazette said that J. Harrison was found by his son in a medical college hanging from a rope. Unable to find further insight into the incident in the Medina County Gazette, it was time to turn to another source for information. Using the archives and resources available through the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, you can search ‘J. S. Harrison’ and find an article dedicated to the events of his grave robbery. 

MCG 06/07/1878, p2

In 1878 J. Harrison’s three sons arrived for their father’s funeral only to notice the grave of a nephew, Augustus Devin, had been ransacked. After taking precautions with their father's grave, John Harrison II, along with a cousin went on the hunt for poor Augustus. The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site expands on the Medina County Gazette article mentioned earlier. This article reported that a veiled body was hanging inside a shute used to lower cadavers to different exam rooms. When unveiled, it was a shock to find John Scott Harrison who had been buried, and whose grave was heavily reinforced with stone and cement not long before, hanging from the end.  

There are no reports of how or who took J. Harrison’s body from his grave to the medical college. The only thing that is known is that in the late 1800’s medical colleges and their students were the leading suspects due to the lack of bodies being donated to science. The body of Augustus Devin was later found among many others at Anne Arbor Medical College.  

MCG 09/06/1878, p4

However, medical colleges are not the only place thieves tried to get money out of stealing bodies. Six years after J. Harrison a body was stolen in Medina and an attempt to ransom it back to the family was made. 

Linus Smith 

Linus Smith was the son of Medina pioneer Fairfax Smith. He lived on his father’s farmland, where a family vault was on site. The vault was built in 1880 and was only home to Fairfax, his wife, and a boy, Linus’ brother.

Photo by Madison Thomas 10/25/2022

Between 1880 and 1883, when Spring Grove Cemetery was developed, someone broke in during the night and stole the body of the boy. In a reflective article from 1984 from the Medina County Gazette, found in the Family History & Learning Center hanging files, a ransom note was left for Linus wanting money in exchange for the return of his brother’s body. Unfortunately for the thief, Linus was able to recognize the handwriting as a neighboring boy. A confession was received, the body found in a corn field, and no charges were filed. The family was all moved to Spring Grove Cemetery where Linus would later be buried as well. 

For anyone curious, the families plot is easy to find in Spring Grove Cemetery today. It is clearly marked with one of the cemetery’s more notable grave markers, a marble statue ordered by Linus straight from Italy to honor his father Fairfax and the early pioneer way of life.  

Conclusion 

Today we have systems and ways of donating our bodies to science and few need worry about the possibility of grave robbery. Using our newspaper resources like Digital Archives of Medina County District Library, Family History & Learning Center hanging files, and follow-up resources like the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Library can give insight into life in the 1800’s. So much of life then is different from how it is today. Due to two out of three of these grave robberies dropping charges the few remaining records we have of the events are newspaper articles. With those few tools we can follow the unfolding of a fascinating tale and struggle within Ohio to keep its dead...buried. 

 

Sources: 

Hambley, Stephen D. (2018). Timeline of Medina County History, Slide 33. Medina County Ohio. https://www.medinaco.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2018-Remastered-Timeline.pdf. Accessed 1 October. 

Medina County Gazette. The Digital Archives of Medina County District Library. http://mcdl.advantage-preservation.com/ . Accessed 5 October 2022. 

• 01/26/1877, p5 

• 01/12/1877, p5 

• 11/30/1883, p5 

• 02/12/1877, p5 

• 02/20/1877, p2 

• 06/27/1878, p2 

• 06/07/1878, p 2 

• 09/27/1878, p4 

• 09/06/1878, p4 

• 
  

Medina Highschool Class of 1966. (1966). Historical Highlights of Medina. Medina High School. (E. I. Schapiro, Ed.). A. Meyers Lithographers. 

Price, A. (2019). The Grave Robbing of Benjamin Harrison’s Father. Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. https://bhpsite.org/the-grave-robbing-of-benjamin-harrisons-father/ . Accessed 4 October 2022. 

Virginia Wheeler Martin Family History and Learning Center (n.d.). Hanging Files: Cemetery Smith Monument. Medina County District Library.